Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 27809 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 139(@200wpm)___ 111(@250wpm)___ 93(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27809 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 139(@200wpm)___ 111(@250wpm)___ 93(@300wpm)
So many things were wrong with what he’d told me that it was hard to know where to begin. “I don’t understand. How can you be a judge and a lawyer at the same time?”
“I’m not. I took a seat on the bench five years ago.”
My mom’s hands trembled too much for her to hold the phone, so she set it on the cushion between us before she asked, “You’ve been lying to us this whole time?”
“I’m sorry.” He heaved a deep sigh. “For much longer than that.”
My mom couldn’t have been aware of anything he was telling us. She looked as shocked as I felt. “What did you mean when you said you’ve already done this once?”
“He went after Kiara first, but a local motorcycle club, the Silver Saints, got involved and they were able to negotiate a deal with him to protect her. If I’d had any idea that Bickle knew about you, I swear I would have let them know sooner. They never would have agreed to his deal to leave her alone if they’d known he’d go after my other daughter.”
“Kiara? You have another daughter?” my mom gasped.
I moved closer to her and wrapped my arms around her shoulders. Her whole body was shaking as tears streamed down her cheeks, but she was silent as she cried.
“I have a sister?” I whispered, biting my lip to hold back my tears.
“Yes, she’s a year older than you and just finished her first semester of college.”
I’d always wondered why they’d never gotten married after being together for so long. But my mom had never seemed bothered by it, so I’d stopped asking questions about it years ago. Now I wished I had kept pushing. Maybe if I had, his secrets would have come out sooner.
Pressing her knuckles against her lips, she mumbled, “Her mom?”
My dad’s voice cracked as he answered, “She’s my wife, but I swear to you that we haven’t lived as a married couple since you came into my life all those years ago.”
“Then why is she still your wife?” I hissed.
“Because I couldn’t leave Kiara behind with her, and that was the only way she was ever going to let me out of our marriage. Marsha doesn’t care about anything except appearances, not even our daughter. And by the time Kiara turned eighteen, it was too late for me to get out because I was already wrapped up in this damn mess. I couldn’t afford to have my life ripped into without exposing what I'd gotten myself into. But as soon as my house of cards started falling apart—before Bickle threatened Kiara—I talked to a divorce lawyer.”
Mom sagged against the back of the couch at his confession. “I guess that’s something, at least.”
“I’m sorry, Stephanie. I never wanted you to find out this way,” he apologized.
“Over the phone? Before you were divorced? Or after you had to tell me that you’ve put our daughter’s life in danger?” she snarled.
“I’m so fucking sorry I’m not there to hold you while you cry. I’d be there in a heartbeat if it wouldn’t make it easier for Bickle to find Karina. Even with the Silver Saints already headed your way, it’s too dangerous for me to be near her until they’ve tracked him down again.”
All I could do was hold my mom as her shoulders shook while she cried, “I shouldn’t ever want to see you again, but I can’t help wishing you were here.”
“Who are the Silver Saints?” I asked.
“They’re the ones who figured out what I was doing when I…” He paused and muttered, “Shit,” then sighed again before continuing. “I was going to imprison one of their men for a crime he didn’t commit.”
I didn’t even want to ask how he’d gotten them to help after what he’d done to one of the members. I couldn’t take another revelation about him today. Or anytime soon, most likely. He’d already destroyed everything I’d ever thought about him.
“And Mom’s not at risk?”
“No, he’s only interested in hurting my daughters, and he’s given up on going after Kiara because he knows the Silver Saints will never stop hunting him if he does anything to her. So that only leaves you.”
“As hurt as I am by all of this, you have a lot more explaining to do to Mom. You’ve betrayed her more than me.” I swallowed the lump in my throat.
“I know.” He sounded genuinely broken, and it tugged at my heartstrings, but I was madder than I’d ever been, and I shoved those feelings away.
“You have protection for Karina?” my mom asked quietly, her tone strained.
“Yes. They’re on their way there now.”
“I don’t want anything from you,” I insisted, my voice shaking with anger. “I can take care of myself.”
“Please, Karina?” My mom took my hands and met my gaze with pleading eyes. “I need to know you are safe, and your dad and I need to talk about this face-to-face. I can’t leave you unprotected.”